


Where the River Leads Me

by MarshmellowMistress (orphan_account)



Series: A Thousand Tears Creates an Ocean [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Assassination, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, Violence, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-01-18 05:39:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1417123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/MarshmellowMistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru is an assassin who was left all alone at a very young age. Makoto is born into a rich merchant family but loves to help the poor. Rin massacre kills while Nitori cries himself to sleep every night. Rei and Nagisa decide to run away from the horrible country and leave behind everything that they have ever known. But what if Haru has to assassinate Makoto and Rin has to tame his angry shark side in the face of love? How will Rei and Nagisa escape if Makoto begs them to stay with him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic in this fandom so I hope you enjoy yourselves. Sorry that the beginning is kinda dry, I needed to start somewhere, haha.I also apologize first hand if the story line moves along quite fast... But anyways, let's continue on!! Let this be the beginning of our grand adventures through this new world with our beloved characters from Free!

Chapter 1

The sound of creaking wood from a slightly strong breeze tugging on swaying trees was the only noise in the quiet of the night. A mansion standing proud and tall was nestled in a grove of trees just outside of a fairly small village, torches lighting the exterior of the building for lighting as soldiers paced back and forth. Their eyes were set for any intruders seeking to ambush the large house for its gold and money. Weapons were set outwards, loaded so that at a flick of a wrist, anybody could set them off.

  
But in all directions, the trees seemed quiet and hostile, nobody was seen in the shadows of the night.

  
Except maybe for one young man that went by the name of Haruka Nanase. He was a famous assassin, known for succeeding in all of his missions in flying colours, leaving the killings quiet and quick. Never once did he ever allow a scream or even a whimper escape the lips of his prey, the blade or the poison reaching their heart and brain before they ever got the chance.

  
Haruka couldn’t say that he enjoyed being a world known killer, but it was the only job that he could survive from in these hard times of the world. Every person was either a thief or a killer, only the lucky few that were extremely wealthy were able to live an easy life of leisure and comfort.

  
But not for Haru. Oh no, he was born into a very poor family, born in an alleyway and taught to steal and kill from a very young age. He never had any older siblings to teach him or protect him from all the evils of this world. His mum was killed by a criminal when Haru was only 7, leaving him to fend off any threats by himself and get by each painful day by himself. Not that he disliked it all the time. There was always others that he could rely on. Like the water in the rivers that flowed free and uncaring, or the birds that soared high in the sky that called to their friends with a rising heart. Just the sight made Haru feel a little bit happier, even if his name was reknown for killing people with an ice cold glare before vanishing like steam.  
All that was in the past though, and Haru only lived in the present, eyes set forward to the seconds that fly by him like a chattering brook. He only awaited the feel of water as it opens up for him when he gets the next chance to swim in the next lake or river.

  
But for now, he had to focus on his mission of the assassination of Hanz Worshlibber. With a slightly heavy heart, Haru looked around his surroundings in the thick forestry as he readied his weapon of choice- a thin, agile looking blade that gleamed perfectly in the half light that the moon gave through the thick trees.

  
The raven haired male glanced around with an unreadable expression, taking a few long strides to the outskirts of the trees and examining that the mansion was surrounded by what looked like two dozen soldiers guarding the premises. Not that he had anything against it, it was quite predictable actually, but sneaking past all those men without having to kill them was very bothersome.  
‘ I’ll have to stay within shadow’s reach until I find a breakthrough in their defenses,’ Haru thought bitterly as he crept slowly in the shadows, never taking his eyes off from the tightly defended mansion. His boss would absolutely love him if he could manage to assassinate the man in his mission and maybe seize a little bit of gold wouldn’t hurt along the way. But to accomplish this was going to take Haru time, even if he was very skilled at his job. It was still a hard job and the male was still only 16 and he still had a heart. He couldn’t just kill over and over without having some affect on him.

  
Haru pushed away his thoughts and tightened his grip on his blade, his knuckles turning white as he did so. The familiar twitchiness of his body warned the blue eyed boy that he was still nervous and he would have to take every step carefully in order to succeed.

  
After a few deep breaths, Haru deemed it appropriate to continue his cree;ing through the trees, eyeing one of the dozing soldiers, his weapons aim tilting around. Haruka smirked, finding the opening to strike and lunge forwards, long and agile legs carrying him across the grassy terrain in a matter of seconds. He took the soldier by surprise, running past the soldier and making a fast break towards an open window by a tall tree. Only a few soldiers caught the teen’s fast moving body, a few of them shouting a warning as they pointed their guns in his direction. Of course, he was gone in another matter of seconds, disappearing in the shadow of the strong looking tree. Haru pressed his back against the bark, gripping his knife like weapon tightly in his right hand, his free hand pressed to his side tightly, heart pounding inside his restricting ribs. Haru knew that he reacted recklessly and the soldiers had a strong chance of catching him underneath the tree, but his reactions were fast and he trusted his intuition well. He nearly always used instinct on everything except when he needed logic over his mindless instinct.

  
But instinct was the only thing that drove him now. So Haru scaled the tree that was pressed uncomfortably against his back and sat on one of the strong branches to breath deeply and calm his racing heart which seemed to only quicken when he stopped moving his body.

  
‘ I’m nearly inside, half way done,’ Haru thought quickly, flicking his eyes up before turning to crouch carefully on the branch, making sure that no soldiers were looking at him still. It seemed that most of them were either dozing tiredly or chatting quietly in small groups around the torches that lit up the area in small, glowing circles. Good thing for Haru that the dark never really bothered him. It was like a sanctuary from everything dangerous and he welcomed the dark when he careful slipped into the mansion from the half opened window. It was a tight fit and he nearly didn’t make it, but after a few moments of wriggling his shoulders, Haru made it safely into the dimly lit room.

  
It was quiet. Painfully quiet. Haru nearly hated the silence that pressed in on him and he had to escape the room quickly or he was going to go crazy from the horrible silence. At least outside had noise of nature and of noisy humans with their loud voices drifting across the wind. Even if it was dangerous, Haruka preferred it to the deathly silence of the mansion. It was like the moments after Haru kills someone, the painful silence that ensues after the last breath dies from the victim's mouth. But he lives with it, the knowledge of getting money to live longer weighing on his mind to relieve his guilt and let him continue on much more easier.

  
Right now was the time that Haru decided to close his eyes and pray to any unknown gods in the sky to give him strength to kill and he prayed beforehand to the lives that would be lost on this tragic night of assassination. He didn’t know who would be killed exactly, it could be anybody, and he feared if that anybody could possibly be him in the near future.

  
‘ No, don’t think that,’ he murmured in his head, shaking them away before taking in his surroundings. To his right was a polished wood desk with a dying out candle flickering in a lantern. To his left was a comfortable looking bed with a sleeping form quietly sleeping in it. Haru held his breath before taking a few tentative steps towards the bed, ignoring his logical thoughts as they screamed for him to escape before the person woke up. But he continued anyways, leaning forwards a little so that the raven haired teen could view the face of the sleeping figure.

  
It was a male, around his age with chestnut brown hair. Slightly tanned skin accented the male’s features, the small smile on his face lighting his sleeping face. Haru wanted to reach down and caress his face, but knew that doing so would cause the boy to wake up and have a chance to yell out for someone to save him, causing in one of their lives being snuffed out from the ever changing world.  
‘ He’s so beautiful,’ Haru thought wistfully, tearing his eyes away from the sleeping boy’s body reluctantly to glance at the closed wooden door in case anybody was about to burst in at any given moment. The thought was farfetched but Haru could only be safe than sorry.

  
After a few more moments of watching the sleeping male, the young assassin frowned before turning away and creeping towards the door, opening it as quietly as possible and then looking to both sides of him. It was as quiet as a graveyard, but a few noises of snoring and snuffling came from a few doors on either side, a few torches lighting the hallways with a warm yet somehow creepy light. It was probably just because Haru knew that he was the reason that blood was going to stain the perfectly polished wooden floor.

  
He continued to the right, making sure that he closed the previous door he was in and sticking to the shadows as much as he could. The room that Hanz was supposed to be in was unknown, so the only logical way to find him was to check every room quickly, sparing as much time as possible. Of course Haru could take as much time as he wanted to find the right man, but the likelihood that Haru would be found out would become greater with every passing hour.

  
‘ It seems that this is the wealthy family’s sleeping quarters,’ the teen contemplated, glancing in each room he passed by. By the time he reached the end of the hallway and was met with a staircase, Haru turned around and hurried in the opposite direction, feeling slightly vulnerable with his back turned towards the stairwayHe continued on anyways, glancing nervously around, his heart

speeding up as he steps on a creaky part of the floor. The noise seems to echo on forever. Haruka turns into a statue, afraid to look around in case that someone is standing right there ready to lead him into death’s open arms.

  
‘ Just continue on,’ Haru urges his muscles to move, his grip on his blade never loosening as he glances nervously from side to side. A shadow catches his eye and Haru freezes again. It looks like a giant as the shadow engulfs him in darkness around the blazing torches. The assassin doesn’t dare move or else the newcomer will find out about his intent to kill.

  
“ Who are you?” A calm and somewhat tired voice asks quietly. The raven haired boy jumps and turns around nervously, quickly placing his weapon back into its scabbard at his hip. Haru stays quiet, staring at the male with an expressionless face, trying to hide the racing emotions within. The male seemed familiar. He had the messy dark brown hair that he wanted to touch and tanned skin. He had emerald green eyes, broad shoulders and a tall frame, probably towering over the smaller boy by a head or so.

  
The taller narrowed his eyes slightly,” Answer me. I can call the guards easily so I would suggest you speak up.”

  
Haru gulps and slowly raises his head up to look at the male with what he hoped was an emotionless face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter!! Sorry if this chapter is a little OOC with Haru... First time writing a Free! fanfiction. So please be patient if you decide to read the rest of the chapters! // sweat drop

Haru took a nervous breath as he looked into the bright green eyes. Nervousness ate away at his stomach, making it twist into knots. He should’ve seen this coming, should’ve made sure that he just left instead of hesitating. It was his own fault for getting caught and he would just have to face the consequences for messing up in his work. “ N-Nanase Haruka,” he informed quietly, quickly looking away in case the male noticed that he’s the famous assassin that everyone talks about now.

“ Why are you here?” the brown haired teen asked again. Good. He never found out. So far so good. Haruka twitched his eyes back to look into the taller boy’s gaze.

He cleared his throat slightly,” To kill Hanz Worshlibber.” The boy stared at him blankly before taking a step back in surprise, suddenly intimidated. Haru wasn’t quite sure, but the other male almost seemed scared of him, but Haru couldn’t do anything about his identity. He didn’t flinch when the person standing opposite him froze up and pointed a shaking finger towards his emotionless face( or what he hoped was emotionless, he didn’t feel like that on the inside at all).

“ Y-y-you’re t-the assassin every-everyone talks about!” he exclaimed in a somewhat quiet voice. Haru listened hard to see if the noise caught anybody’s attention in any of the rooms nearby. It didn’t sound like it, but Haru couldn’t be quite sure. He had to get rid of this troublesome threat as soon as he can so that he can continue on with his mission.

“ Of course I am,” Haru snorted,” Who else would I be?” The other male stood there trembling with what seemed like a mixture of cold and fright. Haru didn’t blame him. The combination sucked and the mansion was pretty cold at night he had to admit, even with the torches lighting the hallways.

After a few moments of dead silence between the two, Haruka decided to speak up in his monotonous voice,” May I ask who you are, now?” More silence greeted them and it seemed like the emerald green teen wasn’t going to answer Haru’s question. Time seemed to stop between them, Haru could make out every small freckle on the other’s face and every sharp intake of breath from either of them seemed like a thunderous boom of thunder.

“ T-Tachibana M-M-Makoto,” he finally answered, fear seeming to thicken the brown haired man's speech. Haru snorted softly and averted his eyes. The Tachibana family was a very famous merchant family. They were extremely rich- quite possibly the richest family in the country- and had many companies working under their lead. Haru never thought that he would be talking to own of the Tachibanas in person, or in the middle of a mission. It seemed like this particular person wasn’t a threat to him, but the raven haired teen kept his guard up as much as he could, only speaking when necessary.

“ So, I thought you were going to call the guards on me,” Haru finally says, brushing his hand over the hilt of his knife slightly. He had to be ready for anything that would be flung his way, even if that meant killing Makoto right then and searching for Hanz right afterwards, dodging the guards if they came running because of the sound of someone falling to the ground on the polished ground. But Makoto could also serve as a wonderful guide to Haru’s destination. If he could bribe him or threaten him just right, Haru might get a free ride straight into the big money and disappear like a shadow.

Makoto flinched and brought a hand up to his hair that’s ruffled from sleep,” Oh right… I thought against it. I couldn’t bring myself to see you get killed right here and now. Or you could get dragged to the king and tortured for information or money! It wouldn’t be right!” Haru stared at him. Was he really serious? Most rich people acted like they had no heart towards poorer people. When Haru used to live on the streets, anytime he used to beg for food from the rich merchants, they would always shove hi away or threaten to beat him because he was being bothersome or looked ungodly by their stands that they would sell their goods from. But Makoto… He was acting like a normal human being and giving Haru what seemed like sympathy. He wasn’t quite sure if he liked it fully or not, it was almost weird having a rich merchant’s son give sympathy towards his fate.

“ Are you really serious?” Haruka finally asked, starting to take his knife from its scabbard. He decided that he didn’t like a rich merchant giving sympathy. It seemed like he was looking down on him in disgust. Haru didn’t like that very much.

Makoto noticed the assassin’s intentions as he gripped the hilt of his weapon and he gulped nervously,” A-are you going t-to kill me now?” Haru resisted the urge to smirk and pulled his weapon out fully, pointing it at the taller male.

“ I won’t if you show me the way to Hanz. If you refuse, your life is on the line.” he growled as evilly as he could. He wasn’t that good at this kind of stuff, but he tried his best whenever the need arises.

A look of uncertainty passed through Makoto’s expression before he gulped and nodded slightly,” O… Ok… I’ll lead you to Hanz, just don’t hurt me!” Haru snorted in amusement and lowered his knife somewhat so that it was facing the floor more than the chestnut haired teen. “ I don’t break my promises. Now show me the way, I don’t have all night to linger here,” the raven haired boy grunted, gesturing for Makoto to lead. Makoto nodded before hurrying forwards, walking with hunched shoulders in nervousness to show his back to the threat. Haru gave a final wary look around him in the pressing darkness before following with quiet steps. They didn’t talk for what seemed like hours, just creeping through the darkness at an agonizingly slow pace, both freezing when there was an overly loud snore a creak of wood somewhere in the mansion’s wooden frames. By the time Makoto stopped at a final door at the end of the hallway, the torches were sputtering weakly and the first rays of sunlight were peaking through the windows that were scattered throughout the large building. Anxiety fluttered inside of Haru’s chest at the light, knowing that his time is starting to run out before people start to wake up from their peaceful sleeps.

Makoto turned to look at the shorter male over his shoulder, his green eyes glinting with guilt,” This is his room. Please… Let me leave now…” Haruka nodded, gesturing for the taller to take his leave, letting him pass by quietly before turning towards the menacing doorway. The trim around it looked very elegant, the light that seeped through the windows making the wood of the door gleam with a cold light. Haru took out his dagger once again, gripping it between clammy hands before creeping forwards to grip the door handle and turning. When he pushed, the door swung open on silent hinges, giving Haru the advantage as the room inside was revealed to his narrowed eyes. The interior was much like Makoto’s- simple but had the air of a rich origin. To the assassin’s relief, the figure lying in the bed was still asleep, snoring softly while they dreamt of the peaceful wishes that they’ve always wanted in real life. Haru took the moment to his advantage and glided over to the bed like a cloud, pointing his knife at the person. He matched the descriptions of his mission and he wasn’t going to waste time like he did back in Makoto’s room. He gave one last look at the sleeping man’s face before taking a gulp of air and bringing the blade through the air. A sickening squelch was heard and a strangled noise of surprise before silence ensued again. Haru thanked the gods that no other unnecessary noises arose as he wiped the blood from his knife on the damp blanket before returning it to his scabbard. He looked around, making sure that nobody else was watching him before turning to the window of the room and walking over to it. It was probably about a 4 foot drop from here because he was on the second floor, but no guards seemed to be looking for any intruders on the inside of the perimeter that they were walking around. An easy escape was always a good escape to Haru. ‘ Better get away before anybody notices,’ the lean boy thought with a sideways glance at the bloody mess in the room before opening the window and jumping out carefully, leaving the mess for the maids or servants to find later on in the morning. As for the assassin, he silently made his way back over to the trees, taking a few deep breaths and clearing his mind from the horrifying sight of the dead man before hurrying on his way. Even though that guilt was still heavy and raw in his stomach, Haru thought of the rewards he would be getting and how many more days he would be able to live in ease.

Haru sighed quietly,’ I wonder if that Tachibana guy heard anything from his room...’ The thought was wistful and even though it still gnawed on him, it slowly faded to nothing as he continued on his way back to headquarters. It was a mission well done in Haruka’s eyes. Maybe not to anybody else living in that mansion because they would see that killing as heartless murder, but Hanz was supposed to be a threat to Haru’s boss, and Haru couldn’t defy his boss’ orders unless he wished to be fired or assassinated by another member of the team. “ I’ll make the best of my life with the money I’m dragging in,” Haru promised himself as he walked through the trees, the sun- which was now sitting just above the horizon- cast deep shadows from the trees and a little bit of mist started to wisp around the dark haired teen. It was a good disguise in case Haru found more soldiers lurking in the celestial habitat, waiting for an intruder to come and hide in the trees so that they could apprehend them and get a raise in their jobs. Or, that’s how Haru saw it as, he didn’t believe that soldiers or guards had it that hard in their jobs, though they probably had some hardships in their occupation. Haru looked around himself, making sure that he wasn’t being followed. There was only a few snapping branches probably made from some passing animal and a small breeze that tugged on the leaves of the trees that shot out from the ground on either side of the young killer. The blue eyes boy snorted and brushed off a few fallen leaves from his shoulders and arms before setting off again, shivering from the cold. He only wore a tight black shirt and dark grey and black mottled combat pants. They could have their purposes, but for wind and cold, it made Haru’s cooling body even more cold and he wished that he had took a blanket from the mansion that he just went to. The people that lived there were rich after all, and a blanket or two missing from there wouldn’t hurt at all. They could just buy more with all the money they had. Wait… money… Haru’s heart dropped. In his rush to try and evade getting caught and getting his job quicker, he had forgotten to get some gold to bring back to his headquarters! He stopped again and thought of the possibilities. He could go back and try and evade getting caught in broad daylight, but he would probably get caught and killed. Or… Haru could try and find a hostage and threaten them until they went to retrieve some gold for him. Haru’s eyes lit up. Yes! That’s what he could do! But where could he find a hostage to retrieve the money for him?

“ Are you looking for this?” Haru jumped probably about 2 feet in the air by surprise. He whirled around to see Makoto standing behind him, leaning against a tree, clearly trying not to back away in fright. How did he get there?! Nobody caught him off guard! Nobody. Ever. So how did Makoto catch him by surprise? Haru narrowed his eyes at the brown haired male.

“ Looking for what?” He asks quietly, looking Makoto up and down. He wore a simple green cloak that was draped across his shoulders with a warm, big shirt draped across his upper body. Baggy pants hung from his waist with an expensive looking belt and a pair of simple shoes sheltered his feet from the cold, hard ground.

Makoto smiled a devious smile and held up a moderate sized pouch,” The money. I would think an assassin would know that merchants had a lot of money with them all the time.” Haru gave him an angry glare before taking a few strides forward, whipping out his knife and pointing it at him. SOme blood still shone on what used to be a white edge.

“ Give me that money and you won’t be killed. You know that I killed that man,” Haru hissed lowly, satisfaction glowing in his stomach when he saw Makoto flinch away from him ever so slightly.

However, the brown haired boy nervously cleared his throat and shook his head ever so slightly, standing up straighter,” N-no! If you want this money, you must visit me every day from this day forward and give me information on your assassination organization!” Haru scowled. He should’ve known that a merchant would bribe him like this. And he knew that it was strictly against the assassination law to give out any information on the organization that they’re in to give out information out without permission from their bosses or higher up members. And he knew that his boss wasn’t going to give out money to the most dangerous family group in the entire country. The Tachibanas… They have apprehended over 20 assassins and hundreds of killers and outlaws in their time. Deceiving, bribing and sweet talking were their specialties and they nearly always won over the trust of outlaws and criminals. It was less common for assassins, but the head of the Tachibana house was known for tricking even the most elite assassin. Haru wasn't sure if he should just kill this one or try and escape. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to kill anymore than the man of his mission, but he also knew that if he didn’t accept the bribe or kill him, Makoto was going to give out information on who killed Hanz and a very detailed description of him, Haru couldn’t believe that he let his guard down around him so much in the short hours that he was creeping through that uproariously huge house. But Haru decided to trust him for now. Even if it costed him his life in the end. For trusting a wealthy man like Makoto, Haru deserved to die if he chose to deceive him.

“ Fine. But I need some money to give back to my boss today. Hand over at least an eighth of that.” Makoto narrowed his brilliant green eyes in suspicion as he counted out the money carefully, glancing up at the hostile assassin once and a while to see if he was still standing far back. After a few moments, Makoto handed over the money tentatively, letting Haru snatch it away and store it in a little pouch beside the empty scabbard at his hip.

“ I’ll meet you by that tree by the mansion tomorrow morning right before the sun rises,” Haru muttered before turning on his heel and trotting away stiffly, ignoring Makoto’s murmur of understanding. Makoto watched the other teen leave, wondering if he did the right thing ro not. Haru seemed trustworthy enough, but he was an assassin, a seasoned killer and criminal. He sighed slightly and tightened his hand around the pouch of money before heading in the opposite direction and back to the distraught mansion with people running around in panic as they found Hanz’s bloody body still lying in his bed. It was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. I wasn't too descriptive with the death of Hanz Worshlibber( like my made up name? xD), I'm not too good at describing graphic violence. Anyways! Sorry if this update took a little long, I'm fairly busy with this and that( I try and put in as much writing time in as I can. :))


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter may be quite a bit shorter! If you want me to extend the chapters, or add more conflict and action, just comment!! This chapter was mostly only dialogue anyways so... I hope you enjoy!! :)

It had been about a week since the murder of Hanz. Makoto wasn’t really that bothered by what happened. He never knew Hanz personally and he was only supposed to be staying at his mansion for a while on business with his dad before he was killed. The blood bothered the brunette a little bit more. It’s not like he hasn’t seen anything like that before, dead bodies were always found in the streets when he goes out with his father for buying things. The thing that bothered him the most was that Hanz was killed in his bed, while he was sleeping and defenseless. The sight sometimes intruded in on Makoto’s dreams when he slept, although his personal servant reassured him that that kind of thing would be normal, even if it already has been a week since the accident. She had told him that blood and assassination usually bothered most people, except for the ‘ cold, heartless killers that killed them’. Makoto wasn’t fully convinced by that. He had seen the look in Haru Nanase’s eyes. He saw the hurt and the regret in them. The brunette wasn’t quite sure why the dark haired teen would become an assassin and he didn’t want to know, but he definitely wanted to know the real Haruka better. The person underneath the assassin mask. Starting by meeting up with him, even if it was only to hand over money and receiving information to secretly keep. He never told his father yet. Makoto knew that he should. Tell his father everything that went down, every little detail about the killer of Hanz and who killed him. He knew he should’ve given the valuable information to his merchant father but instead he goes straight to an empty journal and writes down the information in it with quill ink before hiding it in his desk drawer for not even the servants to find. 

Today would be no exception. The same time as the first day, Makoto had to meet up with the dark haired assassin by the tree right after the sun rises. The routine was taxing on the brown haired merchant. He was always used to getting up when the sun was above the trees, not when the first rays bask the still cold ground. Though Haru seemed like the new routine was normal for him, always showing up like as if he never slept. Those blue eyes looking at him with no emotion and only a hint of the sadness that were in the depths right after Hanz’s death. Even after a week of meeting up, Makoto feels like Haru has opened up to him somewhat. A ghost of a smile here, a slight chuckle there. Makoto liked it. He wanted to be friends with the assassin. The teen knew that that would probably be near to impossible to do, but his hopes were up anyways. Haru as a person didn’t seem that bad. Probably kind and quiet, serious and honest. Haru as an assassin wasn’t such a good story. He was emotionless, cruel, quick and deadly. Makoto wanted to be friends with Haru the person, not Haru the assassin. Cause even after a week, Makoto has found that he can start having normal conversations with the dark haired teen. Even if it’s just small talk and they’re not exactly classified as friends, Makoto still enjoys his company. But it was hard to be friends with a killer, especially if one is from an assassin killing merchant family: The Tachibanas. Makoto knew it was a slim chance. But he was going to try never the less.

Makoto sighed and shook his head from the thought of those beautiful eyes, leaning against the strong tree that grew by his window. It was a nice tree and sometimes when the sun was bright, it would shade his room from some of the unwanted heat in the summer. In winter, the bare branches would clatter against his window if it was windy. Makoto liked the tree very much, it was a symbol of life in the wretched country. He knew that everything seemed peaceful and fine where his mansion is, but that’s because of the countless guards and the trees that haven’t been marked by the wars yet. Beyond those trees… the town was desolate and crowded with the homeless and starving. Wealthy people would never want to live in a rat hole like the normal villages and towns that now littered the bare land, the shacks and lean-to’s making the land even more painful to look at. 

‘And it all leads back to war,’ Makoto thought painfully, letting his head thump back against the tree trunk while he waited for the assassin to show up. He usually wasn't this late. Most cases, Haru was the first one waiting at the tree, lurking in the shadows and hand on his dagger protectively. Some rare cases, Makoto would be there before the assassin but only for a few moments. Today… It seemed like 10 minutes had already passed and the sun’s rays were starting to filter through the trees surrounding the colossal building. Maybe Haru had got caught by the guards.

“ No… They would cause a ruckus,” the brunette thought quickly. This wasn’t normal. Everything seemed too quiet now. The wind had stopped blowing, no more animals snuffling through the undergrowth, no more guards walking around, laughing and exchanging quiet words as they kept watch. The flickering and crackling of the torches were muted and muffled, like as if Makoto was under water and he was drowning, drowning, drowning…

“ Over here, merchant,” a voice broke Makoto out of his pressing thoughts. The taller male jumped and whirled around, cranking his head against the wood of the tree and yelping quietly before looking up to meet the assassin’s gaze. He looked more shaken than what he usually was. It was such a big difference of how easily Makoto could read Haru now that they’ve talked and met up each day. The ‘emotionless’ killer broke eye contact and held out his hand for the money. Makoto felt his heart drop slightly at the gesture. He was hoping that Haru would’ve been a little more open with him and tell him what’s wrong. He was back at square 1, trying to pry personal information out of him after gaining important information for the assassin organization.

Haru looked around carefully before looking at the taller male again,” The assassination group gives out orders from different places each time. They don’t stay in one place all the time. That’s why they’re so hard to find all the time.” Makoto nodded in understanding. That explains why it’s so hard to track them all the time. It was near to impossible.

Makoto became braver and asked what was on his mind,” What’s your assignment for assassination right now?” Haru Narrowed his eyes.

“ I've already told you your information.”

“ I’ll pay double. You’re here for the money right?”

“ … Fine. Give me the money first though.” 

Haru held out his hand, waiting patiently as Makoto counted out the money before handing it to him, pressing the bills firmly into his warm hand before taking his hand away reluctantly and revealing the fair amount of money underneath. The raven haired boy recounted the money before putting it into a small pouch hanging from a belt that held his pants up. Makoto watched him with curious eyes, watching the assassin’s every move before getting distracted by his feet.

Haru sighed and crossed his arms,” What was the information that you wanted me to tell you?” Makoto looked up sheepishly, a small smile on his face.

“ What’s your current mission?” he asked quietly. The shorter teen bit his lip and paused in what he was doing for a few seconds.

“ To… assassinate a certain merchant…” the reply was quiet but unnaturally firm. Makoto tilted his head and gave a curious smile.

This time, Makoto’s words were laced with worry,” Which merchant family and which merchant?” 

“ The Tachibana family… Makoto Tachibana…” Haru swallowed and avoided eye contact, gripping both of his arms. At that point Makoto’s world was tilting sideways. Now THAT wasn’t what he expected. At all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry if it's a little OOC( or a lot) I kinda got carried away. xD remember to comment or kudos if you really liked it!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much if you stayed with me till the end! I would very much appreciate it if you gave me more ideas or suggestions on how to improve and your opinions on this work! I promise that the later chapters will get better! I hope… Anyways, buh bye!!


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